Gus Dur, Megawati meet to draft new Cabinet<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid, Vice President
\nMegawati Soekarnoputri and three ministers tasked to draft the
\nmakeup of the new Cabinet met on Sunday.<\/p>\n
There were no clues about the results of the meeting, however,
\nfrom either Abdurrahman or Megawati, who later in the day
\nattended a dinner hosted by Minister of Foreign Affairs Alwi
\nShihab.<\/p>\n
\"Just wait for the official announcement,\" Abdurrahman, better
\nknown as Gus Dur, told reporters as he walked to his waiting car
\nafter the dinner.<\/p>\n
House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung and Deputy
\nSpeakers of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Matori Abdul
\nDjalil and Husni Thamrin were also present at the gathering. MPR
\nSpeaker Amien Rais failed to attend as he was still in
\nYogyakarta.<\/p>\n
Alwi, who is also the President's close confidant, said the
\nmeeting on the Cabinet line-up took place at Megawati's official
\nresidence on Jl. Diponegoro, Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"They met from about 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., but I can tell you
\nnothing because I haven't heard anything,\" Alwi said.<\/p>\n
It was the first meeting that involved the Vice President
\nsince the President named the three ministers -- Minister of
\nMines and Energy Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, State Minister of
\nRegional Autonomy Ryaas Rasyid and Minister of Settlement and
\nTerritorial Development Erna Witoelar -- on Thursday to draft the
\nstructure of the Cabinet.<\/p>\n
The three ministers did not come to the evening gathering
\nwhich was held to celebrate the peaceful proceeding of the MPR
\nAnnual Session.<\/p>\n
Alwi said his three colleagues were still \"doing their
\nhomework\".<\/p>\n
\"There is a possibility that the three could not attend (the
\ndinner) because of things that need changing regarding the
\nstructure of the Cabinet,\" Alwi said.<\/p>\n
He said the three ministers are expected to complete their
\nwork on Monday, four days before the President is slated to
\nunveil his new Cabinet.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman has hinted that he would streamline his Cabinet to
\na maximum of 25 ministers, compared to the current 35. He said
\nthe final say over the structure and the lineup of the new
\nCabinet would remain in his hands.<\/p>\n
There have been demands for the President to pick ministers
\nwho have political roots in parties that won substantial votes in
\nthe last election. The President said earlier that 60 percent of
\nthe new Cabinet would consist of professionals, while the
\nremaining 40 percent would be selected from candidates proposed
\nby political parties.<\/p>\n
Alwi said the gathering at his house was held to express
\ngratitude that the MPR Annual Session had ended \"smoothly\".<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman's supporters had earlier feared that the session
\nwould be used to unseat the President. Tension between the
\nAssembly members and the President significantly subsided,
\nhowever, after Abdurrahman decided to hand over the technical
\nday-to-day running of the government to Megawati.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, economist Faisal Basri expected that members of the
\nnew Cabinet, especially the coordinating minister for finance,
\nindustry and trade and the minister of finance could create
\nharmonized policies.<\/p>\n
\"The coordinating minister and the finance minister should
\nalso be people who are accepted by markets,\" Faisal, who is also
\ndeputy chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN), said in
\nSemarang, Central Java, on Saturday.<\/p>\n
He hoped that the lineup of the new Cabinet would not shake
\nboth domestic and international market players.<\/p>\n
On the eligibility of ministerial candidates, Faisal said it
\ndid not matter whether the nominees were linked to political
\nparties or not, as long as they had clear visions of their
\npolicies, including privatization programs.<\/p>\n
\"The candidates should not have substantial differences on the
\nprivatization issue,\" Faisal remarked. (har\/dja\/byg\/jun)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/gus-dur-megawati-meet-to-draft-new-cabinet-1447893297",
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